One nice thing about using an iPhone alarm clock app is that if the power goes out at night, it doesn’t mess up the clock or cause a person to be late getting up and going to work. Arch-y offers a docking station that also allows the iPhone to charge while sitting up on its side. And it doesn’t matter which side one chooses. Arch-y also allows the user to keep their phone in its case in most instances. While this is a great idea, there are quite a few docking stations out there, and some of them do already allow the user to charge their phone while it is docked. In addition, this one is designed with only an Apple in mind. However, this particular docking station is much more minimalist than the average docking station, which can be a nice benefit when using it on a night stand or desk. This campaign is seeking to raise $15,000 by November 1, 2014. For $10, backers get one product by December 2014 with free shipping.
Tag: alarm
Water damage from flooding or leaks can be one of the most costly home or business repairs. Posiedon is a system that catches small problems before they have a chance to become outrageously costly. Battery-operated, wireless sensors get placed throughout the home in areas such as the bathroom, next to a water heater, dishwasher, laundry room, basement, or anyplace where water would be most likely to leak or overflow. The sensors use two leads, that when shorted with water, will trigger an alarm that is connected to a Web site. The Web site alerts the homeowner through their mobile device and a small wall mounted device. All of this is connected to a central controller that monitors the overall system, which is apparently located in the user’s home. It’s unclear as to how much instillation may be involved, if any, for the central controller and wall mounted unit, and whether or not any special software installation skills may be needed, but this seems like a great idea in the making. This campaign is seeking to raise $45,000 by November 10, 2014. For $240, backers get the basic system of the central controller and one sensor. Larger pledges will include more sensors. Expected delivery is May 2015.
In a world where humans are expected to multitask, it only seems fair that there are gadgets available that allow for gadgets to multitask as well.
Vox makes multitasking more effective in our fast paced world. Oh, let tech lovers count the ways! Six ways, to be exact. These include a rechargeable LED desk lamp, USB and laptop charger, Bluetooth speakers, video recording camera, classical clock, smartphone, and tablet dock. At the touch of a button, answer the phone while using a charging laptop, enjoying Bluetooth, and driving the caller crazy. It’s the ultimate multitasking experience with each side of the pyramid having its own unique multitask enhancing purpose!
The fun is available to those who own iPhone 6/6+, as well as owners of Apple, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, LG, Asus, Acer, and Fujitsu laptops. Early bird backers who want the six-feature premium version product can get theirs for $95 with an expected delivery of December 2014.
The Premise. In some ways, it seems like the occupation of truck driver could be a pretty sweet job. No crabby co-workers, no real office politics, constant change of scenery, listening to favorite radio programs while working, and perhaps the list could go on. But one of the downsides would be the lack of sleep.
The Product. Dudad is a wireless notification device for truck drivers that allows them to take advantage of downtime between the unloading and loading of freight, which can take hours. Upon the arrival of the trucker and after checking in with the person in charge of the warehouse, the trucker can set Dudad’s notification receiver and catch some sleep after a long drive. He or she is then awakened by an alarm clock type noise once the freight is unloaded and it’s time to collect signed paperwork and head back out on the road. This allows the trucker the benefit of uninterrupted sleep, and everyone else on the road the benefit of safer road.
The Pitch. The video for this $50,000 campaign gives a great explanation of what the product is and its purpose. It’s not exactly clear how it works, but the viewer is led to believe that every truck driver who has had the chance to see the product and hear about it is rather excited to be able to purchase one for their own use.
The Perks. There are multiple tiers from which backers may choose. For $120, backers get one Dudad, and if they specify that they’re a driver or will be giving it to someone who is a driver, extra effort will be put forth in making sure that it is received before Christmas of 2014.
The Potential. Every truck driver probably appreciates the opportunity to get a good night’s sleep. And every commuter appreciates friendly truckers that will graciously allow them to change lanes and even exit the highway on the way to work or other activities. It seems that companies could offer the common courtesy of alerting a sleeping trucker when freight has been unloaded or loaded, or that veteran truckers might even have a sense of how long it is going to take for repeat customers, but these things aside, the product seems like it may be rather useful to and even appreciated by those who drive a truck for a living.
The Premise. Smart home systems are cropping up everywhere, but tend to specialize in one particular concept or feature, whether it’s energy-saving, security, or climate control. These devices give the illusion of a smart home while leaving several components woefully unconnected.
The Product. Qhome is a smart home hub that offers a greater degree of functionality than the partial smart home devices that have shown up to swell the market. Operating through a series of distinct modes as well as individual customization, Qhome can open curtains, close windows, keep a running grocery list as things are removed from the fridge, and send cleaning robots out as needed to keep things tidy, all from a smartphone or through its own programming.
The Pitch. Developer Quatanium introduces viewers to Qhome by showing a young professional who can only focus so well on his job because his home monitors and operates itself. From getting him up in the morning all the way to notifying him that there’s no more jam in the fridge, Qhome steers the video’s hero through all the aspects of his home life right up to his date that night. Unfortunately, as viewers ask how all of this might be possible, the campaign page itself has no follow-through, focusing more on general discussion of the history of smart home technology and how it functions rather than explaining how the product itself works. Backers might be interested in helping Quatanium reach its huge $500,000, but will have to do so with several questions still in their minds.
The Perks. Getting started with a Qhome system costs as little as $99, to get the app and control components for two devices. A more complete system with a hub, 5 components, and a wireless music player costs $249. Those who are more concerned with security can add an extra 5 control components and a wireless security camera to their system at the $599, while anyone who wants their system designed to maximize effectiveness in their home can get a personalized system built for $1,999. All tiers except the personalized system will ship by March 2015, with the latter shipping in July 2015.
The Potential. When it comes to potential, the idea behind Qhome has an awful lot of it. However, without more details and more explanation, it’s easy to get the impression that nothing may ever come of all that potential. Qhome makes a lot of bold claims and is fairly cost-effective. Now, all that remains to be seen is if it can back up all of its talk.
The Premise. “Smart lighting” has become one of the latest trends to hit homes and offices. In the past, choices were limited to light bulb style and wattage – usually dictated by a lamp’s requirements. Luckily for us, light bulbs have fast-tracked it to evolutionary nirvana.
The Product. LightFreq is a multi-color, energy efficient LED light bulb with built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and HD Audio controlled by a smartphone app. LightFreq gives consumers and business owners the ability to turn lights on, control dimmers, colors, and other unique abilities. For consumers there is a built-in “follow me” feature which will turn lights on and off as you enter and leave the rooms in your house (as long as your smartphone is with you). The same can be set for audio if you choose to listen to music. Different lighting motifs can be turned on so that LightFreq chooses the colors, which colors to change to, and how fast to change them to the beats of your tunes. Similarly you can set your LightFreq to flash in different colors when you receive a social media notification, text message or phone call. LightFreq also allows you to play God in a neat way with an intercom feature allowing you to speak into a specific LightFreq in another room OR into all LightFreqs in your house at once. LightFreq even works as a morning alarm turning on light, music, or both gradually until you are bopping around in a fresh new day.
The Pitch. LightFreq’s video showcases the many utilities of having the product in your home or business. Devon, Founder of LightFreq, presents his concept of putting sound and light together into one product. The video also features Colin and Rob, chief designers, who explain the importance of putting the best technology into the smallest space to create a powerful speaker. One screen even boasts better sound quality than Beats Pill, but there is no reference data source. Later down the page, Devon hosts a few demos of the product and there’s even a LightFreq soundtrack you can sample. The campaign is looking to raise $50,000 over 30 days on Kickstarter.
The Perks. For just $55 Early Birds can secure their own LightFreq, but a pledge of $70 will take care of late-comers. If you’re interested in the KickStarter special edition, there is a $30 premium for black matte and KickStarter green logo. For $10,000 the founders will come to your business and set up 60 LightFreqs at your office (travel costs not included).
The Potential. Smart lighting has become a very popular concept in the last few years and LightFreq should be able to capture a lot of interest. Backerjack featured a similar product, Whome, with a slightly different design but almost the same functionality as LightFreq. One major difference between the products is that Whome does not use Bluetooth, which could be one of the reasons that the project was ultimately not funded, besides an unnecessarily technical campaign page.
The Premise. Gas leaks are a common, dangerous occurrence in homes. It can be difficult to tell exactly when gas is leaking and often too late to fix the problem. In addition, when it’s known that a gas leak is occurring, it is unclear when the room should simply be aired out, or the house evacuated altogether. Carbon monoxide is another silent killer that can only be detected by technology.
The Product. A home gas connector, Kepler sits on the wall and features a rechargeable battery for maximum utility. It has an alarm for when gas levels reach a high level and the alarm gets louder as levels become dangerous. The product’s look seems a bit inspired by that of the Nest Protect, or perhaps it’s Honeywell thermostat, the Lyric. — gray, white and round with a monochrome display. The alarm beeps and also flashes red. When not in use, the display shows the time. It’s portable and can be transported into any room in the house. Since cooking leads to many gas leaks, Kepler also has a built-in timer to make preparing food safer. Kepler also sends alerts to your smartphone using an accompanying app.
The Pitch. Kepler’s creator talks about the dangers of gas leaks in the video, explaining that he has lost loved ones in such a situation. The rest of the campaign features detailed photographs displaying each of the product’s capabilities. This Chinese product hopes to raise $30,000 CAD during its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Kepler offers two early bird tiers at $60 and $70 CAD. At a regular price with different color options, Kepler costs $80 CAD with estimated delivery in November 2014. Reward tiers go all the way up to $8,000 CAD.
The Potential. Kepler’s appeal comes from its all-inclusive design. Many gas/carbon monoxide detectors exist, but not all have as many features as Kepler does. The Kidde Gas/Carbon Monoxide Alarm Dector, for example, doesn’t have the kitchen timer, app integration and general portability of the Kepler. In addition, it simply doesn’t look as good. Kepler’s smart and stylish design make it a perfect addition to any home safety system.
The Premise. Modern security systems promise innovation and quick response, but can be too complex in the way they work. In addition, they’re expensive and not portable, leaving renters and office owners at risk.
The Product. NOVI is a portable security system. With three features, this small device looks like a typical smoke detector and attaches to the ceiling. It has an HD camera, motion sensor, siren and smoke detector. Information is sent to an app on one’s smartphone if there is any activity. This allows the user to see exactly what is going on at their home at any time. NOVI is also a learning device, keeping track of typical habits so it knows when to arm itself if the user has forgotten to do so. The app asks for a response when an image is sent including call the police, ignore, or request another image.
The Pitch. The campaign video goes through the downside of working with typical security companies and the upside of NOVI. Scary statistics about the false alarm rate common with regular security companies and the costs associated with that permeate the rest of the campaign. NOVI’s creators also really emphasize that their product requires one payment instead of bothersome monthly fees and contracts. NOVI needs to raise $80,000 for a successful run on Kickstarter.
The Perks. Early birds will receive one sensor and the base station for $149, regularly priced at $199. Higher tiers offer more sensors, great for larger apartments, homes or for landlords who’d like to equip the apartments that they lease. Estimated delivery is set for January 2015.
The Potential. Portable home security systems do exist on the market, but not all take the same approach as NOVI. The Tattletale alarm works remotely as well, but costs $500. Similarly, the SimpliSafe alarm system is portable and connects to one’s cell phone, but the company charges a monthly rate for each added feature. NOVI truly is simple and refined. While it could have more features like a carbon monoxide detector, NOVI’s genius lies in its affordability making it the best option for safety for home owners and especially apartment renters.
The Premise. As summer approaches, there are dangers that we must deal with that are related to heat. Cars heat up extremely quickly when left out in the sun. Many parents absentmindedly leave their children behind in hot cars, resulting in dangerous conditions for the child.
The Product. Babeep is an alert device that reminds parents, guardians and babysitters to check their cars before locking up and walking away. This Israeli product plugs directly into the car’s outlet and even has a USB port on the side for charging phones. When the car starts, the Babeep flashes green. When the car is turned off, it flashes red and plays a prerecorded baby sound to remind the driver that a baby is onboard.
The Pitch. Babeep’s campaign is riddled with terrifying facts of child neglect and death rates. It even features a news story of one such incident. The campaign video shows a dramatization of this occurrence that makes the vignettea little bit more horror than informational. Still, the campaign does a great job in creating a sense of urgency for this product in parents and guardians. Babeep is looking to raise a huge $300,000 in its month and a half long Indiegogo campaign.
The Perks. Early backers will receive the Babeep for $35 or $38 at a regular price. Higher tiers offer multi packages for families with several cars. The highest tier at $15,000 promises to donate 500 Babeeps to new moms in hospitals across the country. Lower tiers have an estimated delivery date of March 2015.
The Potential. As the campaign explains, there are several ways that parents have tried to battle the leaving-the-kid-in-the-car problem, but none are effective when the driver is distracted. Some are simply tags that the parent is supposed to remember to use, like the Baby Bee Safe, but how is a parent going to remember a piece of plastic if they can’t remember their own kid? Others are more high tech like the ChildMinder which senses if a child is in the back and then beeps if the child separated by the parent by more than 15 feet. The Babeep seems to be the simplest, most effective of these options. It requires little action and works automatically which is perfect for the kind of parent or guardian who might accidentally leave their child behind.
The world can be a dangerous place and it’s always nice to have extra piece of mind when traipsing around alone at night. The Safelet is a bracelet from the Netherlands that interacts with your smartphone. It lets you choose “guardians” to alert when danger is present. The wearer simply pushes two buttons simultaneously to call for help from guardians, other Safelet wearers in the vicinity or the police. Once the buttons are pushed, the bracelet lets the receivers know the location of the wearer and the bracelet begins recording. Many safety bracelets have come to the market recently like the stylish Cuff and the 1Decision Bracelet for kids. One Safelet costs backers $199 USD. Safelet is looking to raise $40,000 in its Indiegogo campaign.